


Dressing Down

by Adanska



Series: built on a history of scars [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Backstory, Gen, gratuitous making up of Alliance Military protocols
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-12 21:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/816400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adanska/pseuds/Adanska
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David looked over the recruits in his office, and sighed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dressing Down

David looked over the recruits in his office, and sighed. "Privates, I would ask what the hell you were thinking, but seeing as I know the answer to that--you _weren't_ \--I'll refrain."

One of them--Shaughnessy, of course--stood upright, snapping off a quick salute as he rattled off "Captain, we--"

"Private, I do not recall giving you permission to speak," David said, his voice calm and firm. One of the recruits--red hair, brown skin, blue eyes; colony born, most likely Shepard according to his data--stiffened in her seat; judging by Shaughnessy's wince, she kicked him rather hard in the ankle. "Regardless of whatever reasoning you might have had--and I don't want to hear it, Shaughnessy--you still acted in a manner most unbecoming of a member of the Alliance and caused approximately three thousand credits in damage to Hydrate. Now, Karl Kanz has decided not to press charges as long as the damages are covered, but seeing as combined the five of you are still fifteen hundred creds short.

"So, until you all have enough to cover the difference, you are confined to base and your stipends will go towards the deficit. Report at my office at 0530 tomorrow for your additional duties. Dismissed."

All five recruits looked sick. "Sir, my mother--" "Sir, what about our jobs?!" "Sir, you _can't_ \--"

"You'll find that yes, I can, and I have. Dismissed, privates!"

Skulking, two of the recruits ran out of his office, one already making frantic phone calls; Shaughnessy, Pravati, and Shepard stood at attention. "I said dismissed, privates."

"Sir," and how interesting that it was Shepard that spoke, "we'd like to volunteer for Biotic implants. Sir."

David felt one of his eyebrows arching. "Private, what makes you think that the Alliance would take any offers after your gross misconduct the other night?"

"Sir," she cut in before he could really get going. "I know that you don't care about our reasons for the other night, but you should trust that neither Shaughnessy nor I got fired afterwards should say something. On top of that, sir, I think you'll take us because volunteers for the Biotic Implant program has decreased by eighteen percent over the last five years, and by sixty-five in our age class, and all three of us have been approached at several separate instances over the last semester."

"And what age bracket is that, Private?" David asked, pulling up what were supposed to be confidential statistics on his padd; statistics that definitively matched.

"Fifteen to nineteen, sir. Private Shaughnessy and myself are seventeen and just under, respectively, and Pravati is only just eighteen. We are all still within the ideal for both odds of successful implanting and recovering; higher, when you take into account the physical trauma each of us has suffered and recovered from in the past."

"You are on probation, Private, and judging by your recitation, liable to be for longer judging by your procession of confidential data."

"A recruiter told me those figures, _sir_ , and recovery data is freely available on the net. And frankly, sir, we don't need your permission; the Alliance would happily waive our demerits and probationary status in favour of our volunteering. We may not have money," she snapped, eyes flashing, "but we've got healthy bodies, and in some places that's worth more than creds."

David stared at her; she didn't back down, didn't even break a sweat (although Shaughnessy and Pravati had a bit of a sheen at the temple).

He laughed. "You know that I could drum your ass out of here, right? Most superior officers would."

She quirked a grin, scar dragging her lips deep. "With all due respect, sir, you've got more of a brain than them."

"Hey, respect the rank," he warned, pointing. She inclined her head, and he sighed. "Alright, Privates, I'll put in a good word to Babcock, but that's all.

"If you don't mind my asking, what _was_ the instigator for last night?"

"Sorry sir, not my story to tell," she said. He snorted. "Permission to be dismissed, sir?"

"Permission granted. Get the hell out of my office; if you're not accepted and your asses aren't here at 0530, I'll know.

"You know," he said as they started to file out, "if you are accepted, you just left your fellow privates in the lurch."

"Well sir," said Shepard as she followed her fellows out, "they should've thought of it first."

"Indeed." Shaking his head, Captain David Anderson started drafting a memo for Leslie Babcock supporting all three recruits for the Biotic Implant program.

**Author's Note:**

> I totally made up pretty much everything regarding the Alliance Military and the Biotics program. Aaaaand I don't care.


End file.
